This one has come about from a request from a dear viewer. It's a look into the murky world of the material editor. Now, there are many elements to the material editor, but this tutorial looks mainly at the Multi Sub-object aspect of things.

There no object like a Sub-object....

I know this is an area that can cause problems. In good ole 4 it all seemed so much easier, if you wanted to put a material on a selection of faces, then you just selected the faces and put it on... (even I could manage that). But now in Max, it's got slightly more complex. I haven't made up my mind if it is any more flexible now. It now all revolves around a special material that is used only for when you need to apply a texture to a sub-object selection.

Now one step at a time...

First we need an object to try this out on......This one will do

Make a cube any size will do, and orbit the cube in the perspective view so you can see three sides. (easy so far huh?)

Modifier Malarkey...

Now apply an edit mesh modifier. Got into face mode and select one side of the cube. (it will go red). Now down at the bottom of the roll up is s section called Material ID.

This is the important bit :- Each set of faces that you wish to apply a unique material to needs to have a different Material ID No. Go through each of the sides (that you can see) and give it a different number. 1,2 and 3 will do fine.

Now for the technical bit...... concentrate

Bring up the material editor and where it reads standard, click and select multi sub-object from the list. This will bring up a box with 6 slots in it. Now here is the cunning part....which ever slot you place your material in responds to the same number in the material id box you set earlier. ie, if you put a material in the second slot, it will appear on the faces you have selected to be material id No.2. Each of the material slots is a complete independent material, with it's own bit-maps and colours and opacity and everything. For this quick test we will give it just different colours. In slot 1 create a red diffuse colour, in 2 a green and in slot three a blue diffuse colour.

The sample material (the coloured sphere at the top) will be grey with coloured bands on it.

Make sure that your edit mesh modifier is NOT in sub-object mode and apply the material to the cube by pressing the button.

Your cube should now look like this......

Set for stun!.....

Now for some bit-maps.....reset your scene and create a new cube as before.
Now follow this list:-

Do this for the other three sides of the cube. Then apply one more edit mesh and take it out of sub-object mode.
Call up the material editor and create a sub-oject type material. This time give the three textures a bit-map instead of a colour (click the small box next to the diffuse colour sample, then click in the large blank box and select an image from your maps directory).

TIP:-When you fill each slot with a unique material, give it a relevant name, this saves time an stops you from getting lost later on.

When you've selected you image click on the button. This will show the actual bit-map in any viewports that you have set to smooth shading. When all three materials are finished assign it to the cube as before with the button.

I sweated blood for this......

Your cube should now look like this...

NOTES:- A couple of things that could help you out...